Pete Davidson Asks NYC Mayor About BQE Repairs on Kimmel

Comedian Pete Davidson publicly urged New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to address the persistent construction issues plaguing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Davidson made the remarks during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Monday night, expressing his long-standing frustration with the state of the major highway.

When asked by host Jimmy Kimmel if he had any questions for Mamdani, who was slated to be a guest on the show, Davidson responded, "Yes, could he fix the f-----g BQE, please?" The studio audience reacted with applause.

Davidson elaborated on his concerns, noting that the BQE has been under construction for an extended period, which he described as seemingly without progress. "The BQE has been under construction since before I was born. And here’s my problem with it," Davidson said. "They’re never doing anything. Someone’s just standing there eating a sandwich or on the phone, and there’s all these cones around."

Kimmel later presented Davidson's question to Mayor Mamdani during his interview. Mamdani outlined his administration's plan, referencing the BQE Central Project. This initiative involves a $4 billion effort to rehabilitate the city-owned section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street. Construction for this phase is anticipated to commence in 2030 and is expected to take approximately 10 years to complete, with a focus on safety and avoiding diversion of traffic to local neighborhoods.

Mamdani, a Democrat socialist who took office in January, has been actively involved in infrastructure planning for the city. Davidson, a lifelong New York City resident, has previously been vocal on political matters, notably supporting Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. He recently discussed his ongoing process of removing most of his nearly 200 tattoos, though he intends to keep a tattoo of Clinton.